Pianissimo device.



J. D. PEASE. PLANISSIMO 1mm APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1907. 91 9,632. Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

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PIANISSIMO DEVIGE. APPLIOATION FILED In 25, 1907.

9 1 9 ,632, Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITEE STATES JOHN D. PEASE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PIANISSIMO DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 27, 1909.

Application filed May 25, 1907. Serial No. 375,624.

To all 207mm it may concern:

Be it known that l, JonN D. PnAsn, a citizen of the United States, and resid nt of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Pianissimo Devices, of which the following is a specificatiou.

invention relates to pianos and more particularly to pianissimo devices for use in automatic pianos, and has for its object to provide device of this kind which is simple in construction and eii'ective in operation.

To this end, my invention consists in certain construction and combination of parts whicn will be fully described hereinafter, and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims. i

Reference is to be had to the ing drawings in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of as much of a piano as is necessary to illustrate my invention, showing my improved device applied thereto; 2 is an elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in a different position and. Fig. 4- is a detail front view of a portion of my device.

A represents the case of the piano and B the keyboard bed on which is secured a rail C, having a slot C through which projects the lever D, having an operating finger piece D. This lever is pivoted at D to the bed B, and has its one end pivotally secured at D to a link E. If desired this connection may comprise a pin which is secured to the link E and. extends through an opening in the lever D, being secured in position by a leaf or llat spring E. The other end of the said link E may be similarly connected with a U-shaped member F journaled in suitable bearings G, and connected by means of a device similar to that just described with a 110001111) an yrod H. 'l his rod ii is provided with a flattened ortion H havin a slot ll throu 'h p b b the end of a member I which is secured to the auxiliary hammer rest rail J against which the hammers K are arranged to rest. This auXiliar T hammer rest rail J is carried by supports J which are pivoted at J to brackets J" secured to the usual hammer rest rail L. This main hammer rest rail L is carried by supports L pivoted at L to a stationary part of the instrument, and is connected by means of a member L with the pedal rod M, to which the usual soft pedal is connected. This rod M is connected which projects to the rod H by means oi a flexible connection such as a chain i' which in the normal position of the parts is slack for the purpose to be more fully described hereinafter.

N represents the strings.

As the finger piece D is moved to the left in F 1 the lever D will swun on its a 1 i 7 PI pivot D- and will move the link lo to the played. During the raising of the rod H as described the chain hi 1s nrst stretched taut after which the rod M carried along so that the auxiliary hammer-rest-rail li moves relatively to the main hammer-rest-rail and then moves it in the same way as when the usual soft pedal is operated. The auxiliary hammer-reht-rail, through the shifting of the pivot J as the main hammer-restartil carried along, is always maintained in the same position relatively to the hammer shanks, which thus are always engaged hy he auriliary hammer-rest-rail at the same point, in all positions of said auxiliary rail.

in other words the purpose of making the main hane mer rest L follow the movement ol the auxiliary hannner-rest-rail J to a certain tent, is to shift the fulcrum J of the supports J, thereby preventing rubbingaction by any material movement of the auxiliary hammwrest-rail J along the hammer shanks.

It is to be understood that a wider range of positions and a liner adjustment ol the ham mers is secured in using my improved device, than can be obtained by th use of the usual solt pedal. This is due to the fact that the lever D is operated manually and its position may tl'iercfore he gag-ed more accurately than that oi the soft pedal which is depressed h y the foot and which therefore not so 1ll )ioughly under the control of the player. il hen the instrument is played by hand, the soft pedal may used, in which. case the L will be swung on he main haimner-rest-rail the pivot L in the usual way and will carry with it the auxiliary han1mer-rest-rarl as soon as the main lMHHTLGFIBSt-lttll comes into engagement with the supports J causing the end of the member I to ride up in the slot H without moving the rod II. It is to be further understood that when the lever D is operated the rod H is raised in a direction perpendicular to the base of the instrument and that there is no side motion, resulting in a smooth operation without undue friction.

In using my device, a wide range of action is secured, that is the strength of a note or chord may be very finely graduated, so that it is possible to render a selection with proper graduation and f eling.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my inven tion as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a piano, the combination with the hammer, of a main hammer-rest-rail movable to different positions and an auxiliary hammerrestrail movable to different positions relatively to the main hammer-rest-rail, the two rails being arranged to engage the hammer shanks at diiferent points and the hammers being in engagement with both rails in the position of rest.

2. In a piano, the combination with the hammers, of a pivoted main hammer-restrail, movable to different positions, and an auxiliary hammer-rest-rail pivotally connected with said hammer rest rail at a distance from the fulcrum of said main hammer restrail.

3. In a piano, the combination with the hammers, of a main hammer-rest-rail movable to difierent positions, an auxiliary hammer-rest-rail, which in the position of rest lies in the same plane with the main rail,both of said rails in the position of rest being engaged by the hammers, and means for moving said auxiliary hammer-rest-rail toward the strings relatively to the main hammerrest-rail.

4. In a piano, the combination with the hammers, of a movable main hammer-restrail, means for moving said rail, an auxiliary hannner-rest-rail, means for moving the auxiliary hammer-rest rail relatively to the main hammer-rest-rail, and a flexible connection between said two operating means.

5. In a piano, the combination With the hammers, of a main hammer rest rail, movable to difierent positions, an auxiliary hammer rest rail movable relatively to the main hammer rest rail, means for moving the main hammer rest rail, mechanism for moving the auxiliary hammer rest rail and a pin-andslot connection between the auxiliary hammer rest rail and said mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JGHN D. PEASE.

Witnesses G. A. SooFmLD, GEO. N. TAYLOR. 

